Letter-opener.



c. w. ANDREWS.

LETTER OPENER. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 6, 1915. 1,189,031. Patented June 27,1916. WHMEMW. 3 :2 1 A! g.

2/ g Y, I

CWAndrcmg ice CHARLES W. ANDREWS, 0F BRIDGE-PORT, ILLINOIS.

LETTER-OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 27, 1916.

Application filed October 6, 1915. Serial No. 54,429;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OHAnLns W. ANDREWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Lawrence and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Letter-Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in letter opening devices and has particular application to a manually operated letter opener.

In carrying out the present invention, it is my purpose to provide a hand operated letter opening device whereby letters may be quickly and conveniently opened and wherein a predetermined length of the envelop at the end thereof will be cut off in the use of the device, thereby preventing mutilation of the contents of the envelop.

It is also my purpose to provide a device of the class described which will embody in its construction, among other features, a table and a knife pivoted at one edge to the table and movable at right angles thereto to cut the end of an envelop upon the table, means being associated with the knife to limit the movement of the envelop toward the knife so that only a predetermined length of the envelop will be cut, thereby preventing mutilation of the contents of the envelop.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in and falling within the scope of the claim.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a view in end elevation of a letter opening device constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 1s a transverse sectional view through the device. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view therethrough.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, 1 designates a table constructed of any suitable material and of an area sufficient to accommodate an envelop. This table 1 is mounted upon legs 2 suitably arranged and secured to the longitudinal edges of the table and projecting upwardly therefrom are guide flanges 3. Formed on one edge of the table adjacent to one end thereof and projecting outwardly therefrom 1s a lug having the outer surface flush with the ad acent end of the table, and secured to the opposite side of the table adjacent to such end thereof is a vertical guide 5 formed with a vertical slot 6 contiguous to the edge of the table.

7 designates a blade having one end pivoted to the lug t as at 8 and the opposite end formed with an outwardly projecting handle 9 slidably mounted within the slot 6 in the guide 5 and disposed within the slot 6 is a spring 10 having one end connected with the guide and the remaining end secured to the handle 9 and this spring acts to hold the blade 7 normally in elevated or inactive position. The cutting edge of the blade is adapted to move across the adjacent edge of the table to produce a shearing action. Secured to the handle end of the blade 7 and depending therefrom at right angles thereto is a finger 11 and connected to the lower end of the finger 11 is one end of a gage bar 12, such bar having the remaining end thereof secured to the blade 7 adjacent to the pivot 8. This gage bar 12 is disposed at an acute angle to the cutting edge of the blade and is ofiset outwardly from the blade, the distance between the blade and the gage bar being approximately one sixty-fourth of an inch, in practice, although this distance may be varied.

In practice, the cutting edge of the blade 7 is normally held above the adjacent edge of the table by means of the spring 10, while the gage bar 12 is held in juxtaposition to the adjacent edge of the table. To open an envelop, such envelop is placed upon the table with one edge against the gage bar 12, and the blade 7 moved downwardly against the action of the spring 10 by means of the handle 9 and in thedownward movement of the blade a shearing action is produced between the cutting edge of the blade and the adjacent edge of the table whereby the end portion of the envelop is sheared off so that the contents may be removed.

By means of the gage bar 12, it will be seen that the movement of the envelops across the path of movement of the knife is limited so that predetermined lengths only of the envelops are sheared off, thereby preventing mutilation of the contents of the envelops.

It will be understood, of course, many envelops as desired may be fed to the knife simultaneously so as to expedite the opening of the envelops.

While I have herein shown and described one preferred form of my invention by way of illustration, I wish it to be underthat as stood that I do not limit or confine myselt to the precise details of construction herein described and delineated, as modification and variation may be made within the scope of the claim Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

A device of the class described comprising a table a blade pivoted at one edge of such table and movable across such edge to produce a shearing action, means holding said blade normally in inactive position, a finger integral with the end of the blade 0pposite-from the pivot and depending therefrom, and a gage bar having one end portion formed integral with said finger and the remaining end portion formed integral With the pivoted end of the blade said gage bar being oli'set from the blade and dis posed at an acute angle thereto and arranged in juxtaposition to the end of the table.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES .V. ANDREVJS. Witnesses WV. L. GoTT, J. E. :KINQ

fiopiea of this patent may be Obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, I Q. 

